Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southern Africa
-
Types
Perennial
-
Number of Varieties
5050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Cold Regions, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-104-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.30 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm27.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Blue, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Keep ground moist, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, as it is a flowering plant, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Black Dyes
Part of Plant Used
Root
-
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
Polemonium caeruleum
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Jacob's Ladder
In Hindi
African Iris
Jacob's Ladder
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Jacob's Ladder
In French
African Iris
Jacob's Ladder
In Spanish
Iris africano
Jacob's Ladder
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
Jacob's Ladder
In Portuguese
Iris africano
Jacob's Ladder
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Jacob's Ladder
In Latin
African Iris
Jacob's Ladder
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Ericales
Family
Iridaceae
Polemoniaceae
Genus
Dietes
Polemonium
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
30040
1
27800
👆🏻